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I have created an amalgamated teaching modality for both horses
and humans
EFTR and FTR is an amalgamated teaching modality that explores the science behind the fascial system, the power of the autonomic nervous system, and ways with which to transcend chronic pain and trauma in a workable, everyday practice. These techniques have their roots in fascia massage and trauma-release methods that range from deep, slow pressure to very light touch – and even off-body. There are a multitude of approaches, each guided by and tailored for the individual. The more students know how to work with the different systems, the better they can facilitate healing in themselves and others.
Unified teaching models through design and integration
what is fascia & WHAT DOES IT DO?
Fascia is the body’s network of fibrous connective tissue. You’ve seen it when you skin a chicken breast—the filmy layer between the skin and meat. Fascia used to be removed during dissection to see the “important” stuff: muscles, organs, bones, nerves, arteries, etc. We now know that fascia is the important stuff because it forms a complex network that reaches everywhere in the body. Fascia is all the soft connective tissue including fascial sheets such as the plantar fascia, the tendons, ligaments, bursae, the fascia in and around muscles, and the membranes around the brain, spinal cord and nerves.
If everything was removed from your body except fascia, the shape would still be recognizable as you. Fascia is what actually holds us up and together (not muscles and bones), so understanding fascia is essential to understanding movement—our horses and our own. Fascia’s most obvious job is to help body parts move together—wrapping around layers of muscle to slide easily as they contract and release (flex and extend). Besides movement and flexibility, fascia maintains equilibrium (balance and functionality). Fascia’s other job is to guard injured tissue. When trauma or stress occurs, the web of connective tissue changes to protect the injured area; it also holds emotions from trauma and shock. Healthy fascia enhances proprioception (knowing where your body is in space.) As one of the largest sensory organs in the body, it is a major communication network within the body.
"I accept both professional practitioners and lay people who wish to only work with their own horse or family at home.
Healing should ideally be taught to everyone in the world, to empower ourselves on the road to healing. "
- Liza
tre
What is TRE?
What are Trauma Release Exercises?
This generic tremor mechanism re-integrates the organism safely and creates healthier relaxed fascial tissue. In manual therapy when working with fascia we often encounter these spontaneous tremors or jerks in our clients. Until recently these were not understood and often feared. We are now able to recognise, appreciate and encourage these for what they are. In physical therapy a wide range of vibrational healing tools are employed to heal the fascia; however our bodies are able to create this organically. Once the neurological pattern for tremoring has been established and is constantly repeated, the rhythmic cycles of the movements become easier to achieve and are easily accessed when needed in tissue repair. Sport injuries and postural challenges can be self-repaired and certainly encouraged to repair with the combination of self-induced tremor work and fascia release techniques.
When people are able to self-induce the body’s tremor mechanism in a safe environment, the physical challenges of a highly aroused nervous system are relaxed, and the fascial tissue as well as the emotional state of the individual, are relaxed. This gives us as manual therapists the unique privilege to guide our patients through their natural process if it should arise in the fascia release. It can then be given as a self-help tool at home to reinforce the work done in manual therapy. ‘Pain is a multiple system output constructed whenever the brain concludes that body tissues are in danger and action is required…and pain is allocated an anatomical reference in the virtual body.’ (Moseley).
Mammals possess the neurophysiological ability to generate our own healing vibration which we are able to activate soon after a stimulating hyper-aroused event.
Stressful and traumatic events are by definition based on some perceived or real threat to life, and therefore have close associations with the basic response to survival. Once the body feels that it is once again safe and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system has completed its adrenal fight/flight or freeze response, it can discharge a massive energy build up and adrenalin release. This seems to be the key to providing an optimal environment after survival in all mammals.
Myofascial patterns that become constricted through the ANS hyper-arousal are also released through the tremoring mechanism. What is fascinating is that when an individual accesses a specific myofascial pattern that is unique to a past injury or tension, the body often moves itself organically into the same tension pattern it experienced at the time in order to release it, even though the event has long passed. The release can contain muscle tremoring, myofascial movement, shaking and a memory of an emotion or event. The variety and diversity of expressions that occur appear to be identical to the injury itself.
Need more information?
Curious about our diverse courses or seeking more information about private consultations? Contact us if you have any questions over and above what we have covered on these pages.